Adam JK Is Here To Give You The Pep Talk You Need

The first thing you should know about the creative journal Pick Me Up is that you can use it any way you want. It's not meant to be filled out in order; randomness is better—you can start with whichever page you happen to open up to.

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That "anything goes" attitude is what you should expect from the hilarious and charming Toronto-born, New York-based artist and writer, Adam J. Kurtz. We visited him at his Brooklyn studio and talked about everything from tough break-ups to protecting your creative work to making a book to help real people like you. Read on for more tips to boost your creativity and make the best out of the worst situations.

A section of Kurtz's impressive pin collection.

Tip No. 1: Communicate Your Emotions Using IRL Emojis (a.k.a. Pins)

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"I'm actually kind of embarrassed right now, because I'm on Snapchat. And you're holding me, which is actually kind of intimate. Maybe it's nice."

"There are things [in the book] to make you feel good, and journaling prompts—because a blank page is the scariest thing in the world." —Adam J. Kurtz on his book, Pick Me Up

Tip No. 2: Don't Smile, Drink Water, or Do Yoga

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"It's a creative journal for mindfulness and self care...but it's not offensive. It's not annoying."

Tip No. 3: If You Can't Say Something Nice, Write It in a Fun Font

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"Fonts have different voices and different tones to them. When I started doing this hand-drawn work, it was really important to create a voice for it, so my kind of shitty, kind of cute handwriting becomes that thing. It's casual enough that I can write out, 'Cheer the fuck up,' and you can see that and not be personally offended. Because if I said that to you, or if it was in Helvetica Bold, you would be like, 'I don't know you'—but my handwriting helps enter a conversation in a friendly, unassuming way."

Tip No. 4: Bad Breakups and Dumb Ideas Could Launch Your Dream Job

"I make these items that say things that are hard to say, and it started with these balloons that say, 'Sorry I'm such an asshole.'"